Wikipedia Co-Founder Jimmy Wales Takes Aim at Elon Musk Over “Defund Wikipedia” Comments

Wikipedia Co-Founder Jimmy Wales Takes Aim at Elon Musk Over “Defund Wikipedia” Comments

Published: 22 January 2025

The online clash between tech leaders Elon Musk and Jimmy Wales has reignited, with the Wikipedia co-founder responding sharply to Musk’s call to “Defund Wikipedia.” The controversy began after Musk criticized the platform on X (formerly Twitter), referring to it as “Wokepedia” and urging users to stop donating until it “restores balance to its editing authority.”

Musk’s frustrations appeared to stem from a recent update to his Wikipedia page that referenced his gesture at Donald Trump’s inauguration celebration—an event that remains divisive. His post read: “Defund Wikipedia until balance is restored! Stop donating to Wokepedia until they restore balance to their editing authority.”

Jimmy Wales, never one to shy away from a debate, quickly fired back. In a pointed response, he wrote: “I think Elon is unhappy that Wikipedia is not for sale. I hope his campaign to defund us results in lots of donations from people who care about the truth. If Elon wanted to help, he'd be encouraging kind and thoughtful intellectual people he agrees with to engage.” Wales also took the opportunity to share a donation link to support Wikipedia’s continued operation.

Musk and Wales: A History of Clashes

This isn’t the first time Musk and Wales have crossed paths in the digital arena. In October 2023, Musk offered $1 billion to rename Wikipedia to "Dickipedia." Wales swiftly dismissed the offer, calling it a "juvenile distraction" from the platform’s real mission. Around the same time, Wales publicly criticized Musk's leadership of X, labeling the platform a “haven for trolls and lunatics” during an interview with CNBC.

Tensions also flared in late 2023, when Wales addressed the growing influence of Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT using Wikipedia’s data to train their AI. At a conference, Wales quipped that he’d prefer chatbots rely on Wikipedia rather than Musk’s X, adding, “It’s not really a great source of truth.”

Despite these tensions, Wales remains firm in defending Wikipedia’s values. Founded in 2001 with Larry Sanger, Wikipedia operates as a free platform, relying entirely on public donations to stay afloat. Wales has often highlighted its collaborative editing model as a strength and countered accusations of bias by inviting critics to contribute constructively.

The Larger Battle for Online Narratives

The Musk-Wales feud reflects a broader struggle between competing ideologies in the tech world. Musk, who has rebranded X as a bastion of “free speech,” often courts controversy with his unfiltered posts and bold business decisions. On the other hand, Wales champions Wikipedia’s mission of providing accurate, community-verified information, standing against the growing trend of misinformation online.

Following Musk’s latest remarks, Wales took to X to defend Wikipedia’s approach, writing: “Wikipedia isn’t going anywhere, and it isn’t ridiculously biased. If you want to improve it, my arms are open to anyone kind and thoughtful who wants to engage.”

Musk has yet to respond, but given his history of inflammatory comments, it’s unlikely this is the last we’ll hear from him on the subject.

What’s Next?

As the digital landscape evolves, clashes like this are bound to intensify. Both Musk and Wales are influential figures shaping how information is shared, consumed, and trusted online. While Musk’s provocations often spark public debates, Wales seems more focused on rallying support for Wikipedia’s mission to remain a trusted source of knowledge.

For now, the public watches as these two titans continue their tug-of-war over the internet’s future. Whether this feud escalates or fizzles out, one thing is clear—neither Musk nor Wales is backing down anytime soon.